Braun Strowman Offered an Update on His InjuryBaron Corbin opened Raw yet again, and it looks like he's getting a mini faction with himself, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. It's no different than the trio of McIntyre, Braun Strowman and Dolph Ziggler aside from how Corbin has actual booking power on this show. Either way, putting these three together is the last thing Raw needs right now and McIntyre is much better off on his own at this point. At any rate, Strowman appeared on the Titantron to update the WWE Universe on his upcoming surgery and vowed to be at TLC next month to face Corbin. I assume that even if he isn't cleared to compete in time for the event, they'll figure out a way to turn it into an angle or, worst case scenario, replace Strowman with someone else. Bobby Lashley def. Elias in a No Disqualification MatchLashley and Elias have been at odds for a few weeks now, but they have absolutely no chemistry and this match was a total dud as a result. Halfway through, Corbin turned this into a No Disqualification matchup, allowing the heels to take turns attacking Elias and give Lashley the easy win. I guess this is the nonsense we'll have to expect from Corbin until he is inevitably fired from his position as acting Raw general manager next month.
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Elias Performed with Ric FlairIt was cool for Flair to make an appearance on this show given his history with Starrcade and how he was a part of the inaugural installment almost exactly 35 years ago. Elias' concerts are always harmless and this was fun while it lasted, though I could have done without Nia Jax, Tamina, Mickie James and Alicia Fox interrupting them. I wouldn't be surprised if this was cut for time and was actually longer. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon and Alicia Fox def. Nia Jax, Tamina, Mickie James and Alicia FoxThis was your typical house show-style match in that everyone shined at one point or another and it was well-wrestled, yet it wasn't anything incredibly special. On the bright side, they made the most of the time they had and the crowd was into the action. It was also nice to see Banks, Bayley and Moon win for a change, even if it was a totally meaningless matchup and didn't factor into anything storyline-related.
Team Fallah Bahh (Bahh, KM, Kikutaro, Dezmond Xavier and alisha Edwards) def. Team Eli Drake (Drake, Glenn Gilbertti, Rohit Raju, Jake Crist and Katarina) in Eli Drake's Gravy Train Turkey TrotOver the course of the episode, Bahh and Drake "randomly" picked members for their respective teams. Bahh just so happened to pick all babyfaces, and Drake just so happened to pick all heels. What a coincidence, right? At any rate, this was exactly what you'd expect, especially if you watched last year's installment. Everyone got their stuff in and it was total comedy. I can't say I particularly cared for it, but to each their own. As soon as Gilbertti (a.k.a. Disco Inferno) was announced for this match, you had to know he was taking the losing fall and being forced to wear the turkey suit afterward. There was also a ton of focus on Scarlett Bordeaux, so if you're a fan of hers, then you'll likely enjoy whatever the hell this was. Overall ShowWell, on the bright side, there isn't much to review because there is only one match, but that's about it. All I can say is that this was a glorified waste of time and I really wish IMPACT would just skip this show instead of airing original content because no one will watch anyway due to the holiday. I mean, I appreciate the effort, but the thing is, there was virtually no effort and it was treated like one giant joke. You're better off eating turkey and spending the night with family. On a lighter note, have a happy Thanksgiving!
Keith Lee def. Fidel BravoLee was extremely over in front of this crowd and looked like an absolute star. As I've said before, he's an extremely impressive athlete and has a high ceiling if he's continued to be booked so dominantly. He hit all of his signature spots and went over in decisive fashion. I'm glad he was able to compete in front of a TakeOver crowd for the first time and shine, even if it wasn't the actual TakeOver special. Lars Sullivan def. Keita MurraySimilar to Lee's match, this was a complete squash with Sullivan winning in a matter of a minute. Afterward, he cut a promo about how he won't rest until he gets his rightful shot at the NXT Championship (following his recent victories over Velveteen Dream and EC3), which was weird considering video packages began airing at Survivor Series hyping his upcoming debut on WWE TV. Lee then came out to brawl with Sullivan and I'm looking forward to their eventual one-on-one encounter.
Tony Nese def. Noam DarDar's recent rivalries with TJP and Lio Rush were fun and allowed him to showcase his skills for the first time in a long while. I think most fans don't realize how skilled of a wrestler he actually is. Well, he shined here as he and Nese contested a very good sprint and made the most of the time they were allotted. Nese maintained momentum with the victory and obviously Buddy Murphy's interference protected Dar in defeat. Akira Tozawa and The Brian Kendrick def. Local AthletesI assumed Kendrick and Tozawa teaming up the last time was merely a one-off, but apparently not and their issues with Drew Gulak and Gentleman Jack Gallagher will continue. They aren't a bad team whatsoever, and although the crowd was barely into this contest, it was a fine squash for the babyfaces that got them back on the right track. Afterward, they celebrated together, so it looks like they're finally on the same page. Expect a rematch between them and Gulak and Gallagher soon enough.
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